To Name the Bigger Lie- A Memoir in Two Stories by Sarah Viren
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Web ID: 17821934Compelling Memoir!
Sarah Viren’s “To Name the Bigger Lie” is an extremely compelling story and exploration of what defines the concept of truth. Though it lies under the genre of creative nonfiction, it’s a page turner and in my opinion, reads more like a thrilling fiction novel. It begins with a coming of age style and follows two stories—the lies told by Viren’s high school teacher and the false claims made against her wife—and I was extremely impressed at Viren’s ability to not only immerse the reader in these stories, but weave them together through philosophical discussion. This book prompts readers to think about questions such as “What is harm?” “Can words cause harm?” “Can ideas be dangerous?” I found myself completely immersed in the story and often would find myself forgetting that it is a nonfiction story because it was written in such a page-turning fashion. She recounts these events and memories with such sharpness, exactness, and vivid detail. After I finished “To Tell the Bigger Lie,” I found myself contemplating the deeper meaning of what determines truth, which is always a nice addition to reading an already compelling and entertaining novel. This memoir truly felt one of a kind and unlike any other memoir I’ve read before because of its philosophical roots. The story also feels very pertinent and relatable to this modern-day political landscape. I would highly recommend “To Name the Bigger Lie” to anyone who is looking for a thrilling, real-life story that inspires personal reflection and intellectual examination.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Essential Dialogue in Today’s Society
To Name The Bigger Lie examines elements of truth and misinformation that contribute to an essential dialogue in today’s society. By combining two distinct yet interlocking stories, Sarah Viren displays the devastating impact of people who live in and perpetuate lies. She opens up about difficult and disconcerting moments in her life, and the vulnerability is what makes the book so powerful. This book made me think. It challenged my preconceptions of the world. I was especially intrigued to hear her thoughts on philosophy and to witness how Sarah’s own conceptions changed not only throughout her life but also throughout the process of writing the book. To Name the Bigger Lie has an intriguing, unique format that combines memories of the past, journalistic elements, and Sarah’s thoughts as she wrote the book. Because of this, I got to see how her brain worked at so many stages in life, which added to the philosophical intrigue. The narrative style may seem disjointed at times, but the unique structure added to the stories that the book tells. The stories of Sarah’s current life that interrupt the stories of her past life help frame the book for me and help me process what I’m learning. Because the book does discuss some heavier topics of a more sensitive nature, I would recommend the book for more mature audiences. The memoir does address allegations of sexual misconduct and there are also descriptions of explicit scenes. The theme is central to understanding the story, but that is a fair warning.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A great memoir about the nature of truth
In this memoir Sarah Viren explores the meaning of truth by examining two different times in her life when men hurt her by spinning a narrative of lies and passing them off as truth. She looks back at a high school teacher that taught controversial opinions as facts, and a fellow academic during her career who impersonated students online to make allegations of sexual misconduct against Viren's wife. This was a very thought-provoking memoir, examining how sometimes it's not facts that determine truth, but instead who is in a place of power to disseminate information. I could feel Viren's helplessness and frustration penetrate her writing through this language-driven story. I found myself wrapped up in the drama, and her disbelief was my disbelief, her outrage my outrage. I am so angry Viren had to go through these two experiences, but so glad she was brave enough to write about them and share them with readers. I would recommend this honest and engaging memoir to all readers. It is a challenge in critical thinking and I can't think of a single person who wouldn't find this book interesting.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com